Tomograph



Dec. 8, 1959' H, ROLKE 2,916,627

- TOHOGRAPH Filed June 3, 1958 INVENTOR mum n61.

av I

AGENT TOMOGRAPH Hamburg-Fuhlsbuttel, Germany, assignor Helmnt Riilke, Nk

p to North American Philips Company, Inc.,

N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June s, 1958, Serial No;739,614 6 Claims. 01. 250-93 The present invention relates to X-rayapparatus for making radiographs of body sections.

In X-ray apparatus for making radiographs of body sections the X-raysource and the X-ray sensitive surface or image carrier during theexposure are swung so that X-rays passing through any point of the bodysection, an

image of which is to be produced, always impinge at the same point ofthe image carrier. During its movement, the X-ray sensitive surface iskept parallel to the body section, for example, by means of guides.During the movement the tube voltage is switched on. This voltage isswitched on and off by the system comprising the tube and the imagecarrier operating suitable switch contacts the positions of which can beadapted to the angular displacement chosen.

The present invention relates to an improvement in such apparatus andhas for its purpose to automatize the adjustments which must be made atthe switch board of the X-ray apparatus before the system comprising thetube and the image carrier starts to move. These adjustments comprisethe selection of the circuit for the cuit and the contact is connectedin the tube circuit. The contact 3 causes the relay circuit to remainclosed during the swinging movement. When the final position 9a, shownin dotted lines, is reached, a contact 6 is opened so that the relaycircuit is opened. By means of a pushbutton 7, or the like, the relaycircuit can be kept open when no radiograph is made. Thusthe inventionenables the apparatus selector to be operated and the tube currentrequired for making the layer radiograph to be adjusted automatically bythe tomograph.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific exampleand in a specific embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereto, forobvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

. l. A switching circuit arrangement for X-ray apparatus including anX-ray tube, means for moving said X-ray tube in a predetermined motion,an actuating circuit for contro'ling said moving means and a circuit forcontrolling the magnitude of the current in said X-ray tube, comprisinga relay having an energizing winding, a first armature contact connectedin said actuating circuit, said first contact being normally open andadapted to be closed by said winding in its energized condition, and asecond armature contact connected in said current controlling circuit,said second contact being normally open is actuated which through arelay by means of a contact selects the circuit for the swingingmovement. By means of a second contact the relay selects the tubecurrent required for the tomographic exposure. The relay circuit isbroken by another contact which is operated when the swinging movementis finished.

If the X-ray apparatus is not used for tomography the relay circuit canbe interrupted by means of a pushbutton or the like.

In order that the invention may readily be carried into effect, it willnow be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing,wherein the single figure is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of thearrangement of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 8 designates a patient couch. Formaking tomographic exposures of body sections, an X-ray tube 9 and anX-ray sensitive surface or image carrier 10 are pivotally moved about anaxis 11 which lies in the plane of the body section, an image of whichis to be produced. Theapparatus can also be used as a Bucky-couch formaking normal radiographs, in which event the tube 9 is locked at anysuitable point between the positions 9 and 9a shown in the drawing.

Before a body section radiograph is made, the system comprising the tube9 and the image carrier 10 must be placed by hand or by means ofelectric equipment in the starting position shown in the figure for theswinging movement. Then a contact 1, which was open, is closed, so thata relay 2 is energized and closes contacts 3, 4 and 5. The contact 4 isconnected in the apparatus cir:

and adapted to be closed by said winding in its energized condition, anenergizing circuit for said winding, a first switch connected in saidenergizing circuit, said first switch being normally open and adapted tobe closed by contact with said moving means, and a second switchconnected in said energizing circuit in spaced relation from said firstswitch, said second switch being normally closed and adapted to beopened by contact with said moving means.

2. A switching circuit arrangement for X-ray apparatus including anX-ray tube, means for moving said X-ray tube in a predeterminedsubstantially arcuate motion, an actuating circuit for controlling saidmoving means and a circuit for controlling the magnitude of the currentin said X-ray tube, comprising a relay having an energizing winding, afirst armature contact connected in said actuating circuit, said firstcontact being normally open and adapted to be closed by said winding inits energized condition, and a second armature contact connected in saidcurrent controlling circuit, said second contact being normally open andadapted to be closed by said winding in its energized condition, and asecond armature contact connected in said current controlling circuit,said second contact being normally open and adapted to be closed by saidwinding in its energized condition, an energizing circuit for saidwinding, a first switch connected in said energizing circuit andpositioned in operative proximity to the leading edge of the path ofarcuate motion of said X-ray tube, said first switch being normally openand adapted to be closed by contact with said moving means atsubstantially said leading edge, and a second switch connected in saidenergizing circuit and positioned in operative proximity to the trailingedge of the path of arcuate motion of said X-ray tube in spaced relationfrom said first switch, said second switch being normally closed andadapted to be opened by contact with said moving means at substantiallysaid trailing edge.

3. A switching circuit arrangement for X-ray apparatus including anX-ray tube, means for moving said X-ray tube in a predetermined motion,an actuating circuit for controlling said moving means and a circuit forcontrolling the magnitude of the current in said X-ray tube, comprisinga relay having an energizing winding, a first armature contact connectedin said actuating circuit, said first contact being normally open andadapted to be closed by said winding in its energized condition, asecond armature contact connected 'in said current controlling circuit,said second contact being normally open and adapted to be closed by saidwinding in its energized condition and a third armature contact, anenergizing circuit for said winding, a first switch connected in saidenergizing circuit, said first switch being normally open and adapted tobe closed by contact with said moving means, a connection in saidenergizing circuit bypassing said first switch, said third contact beingconnected in said bypass connection and being normally open and adaptedto be closed by said winding in its energized condition, and a secondswitch connected in said energizing circuit in spaced relation from saidfirst switch, said second switch being normally closed and adapted to beopened by contact with said moving means.

4. A switching circuit arrangement for X-ray apparatus including anX-ray -tube, means for moving said X-ray tube in a predeterminedsubstantial y arcuate motion, an actuating circuit for controlling saidmoving means and a circuit for controlling the magnitude of the currentin said X-ray tube, comprising a relay having an energizing winding, afirst armature contact connected in said actuating circuit, said firstcontact being normally open and adapted to be closed by said winding inits energized condition, a second armature cont-act connected in saidcurrent controlling circuit, said second contact being normally open andadapted to be closed by said winding in its energized condition and athird armature contact, an energizing circuit for said winding, 21 firstswitch connected in said energizing circuit and positioned in operativeproximity to the leading edge of the path of arcuate motion of saidX-ray tube, said first switch being normally open and adapted to beclosed by contact with said moving means at substantially said leadingedge, a connection in said energizing circuit bypassing said firstswitch, said third contact being connected in said bypass connection andbeing normally open and adapted to be closed by said winding in itsenergized condition, and a second switch connected in said energizingcircuit and positioned in operative proximity to the trailing edge ofthe path of arcuate motion of said X-ray tube in spaced relation fromsaid first switch, said second switch being normally closed and adaptedto be opened by contact with said moving means at substantially saidtrailing edge.

5. A switching circuit arrangement for X-ray apparatus including anX-ray tube, means for moving said X-ray tube in a predetermined motion,an actuating circuit for controlling said moving means and a circuit forcontrolling the magnitude of the current in said X-ray tube, comprisinga relay having an energizing winding, a first armature contact connectedin said actuating circuit, said first contact being normal y open andadapted to be closed by said winding in its energized condition, asecond armature contact connected in said current controlling circuit,said second contact being normally open and adapted to be closed by saidwinding in its energized condition and a third armature contact, anenergizing circuit for said winding, a first switch connected in saidenergizing circuit, said first switch being normally open and adapted tobe closed by contact with said moving means, a connection in saidenergizing circuit bypassing said first switch, said third contact beingconnected in said bypass connection and being normally open and adaptedto be closed by said winding in its energized condition, a second switchconnected in said energizing circuit in spaced relation from said firstswitch, said second switch being normally closed and adapted to beopened by contact with said moving means, and a manually operated switchconnected in said bypass connection.

6. A switching circuit arrangement for X-ray apparatus including anX-ray tube, means for moving said X-ray tube in a predeterminedsubstantially arcuate motion, an actuating circuit for controlling saidmoving means and a circuit for controlling the magnitude of the currentin said X-ray tube, comprising a relay having an energizing winding, afirst armature contact connected in said actuating circuit, said firstcontact being normally open and adapted to be closed by said winding inits energized condition, a second armature contact connected in saidcurrent controlling circuit, said second contact being normally open andadapted 'to be closed by said winding in its energized condition and athird armature contact, an energizing circuit for said winding, a firstswitch connected in said energizing circuit and positioned in operativeproximity to the leading edge of the path of arcuate motion of saidX-ray tube, said first switch being normally open and adapted to beclosed by contact with said moving means at substantially said leadingedge, a connection in said energizing circuit bypassing said firstswitch, said third contact being connected in said bypass connection andbeing normally open and adapted to be closed by said winding in itsenergized condition, a second switch connected in said energizingcircuit and positioned in operative proximity to the trailing edge ofthe path of arcuate motion of said X-ray tube in spaced relation fromsaid first switch, said second switch being normally closed and adaptedto be opened by contact with said moving means at substantially saidtrailing edge, and a manually operated switch connected in said bypassconnection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,000,497 Pohl May 7, 1935 2,640,159 Gerneth May 26, 1 953 2,781,454Green et a1 Feb. 12, 1957 2,798,958 Hudson et al. July 9, 1957 Attesting" Officer UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I CERTIFICATE 0F CDRRECTIONPatentNo. 2,916,627

- December 8, 1959 Y He'mut Rlke It is hereby certified that errorappears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that thesaid Letters Patent should read as oor rented below,

In the: heading to the pfinte'd specification, between lines 6 and '7)-insert Claims priority, application Germany June 15, 1957 Signed andsealed this L4th day of June 1960-,

- I (SEAL) Attest:

AXLINE ROBERT c. WATSON Commissioner of Patents

